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Exam TacticsIGCSEA Level

Mastering Paper 1: Multiple Choice Exam Strategies

RevisionGrid Team
May 31, 2026
1 min read

Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs) in Cambridge exams (usually Paper 1 or Paper 2) are notoriously tricky. The examiners design 'distractor' options that are the exact answers you would get if you made a common mathematical or conceptual error.

1. The Process of Elimination

Never look for the right answer first. Look for the wildly wrong answers and cross them out physically. Usually, you can eliminate two options immediately, leaving you with a 50/50 chance even if you have to guess.

2. Read the Question Twice

Cambridge loves 'NOT' questions (e.g., 'Which of the following is NOT a feature of...'). Missing that one word guarantees you lose the mark.

3. Time Management

You usually have about 1.5 minutes per question. If you are stuck on a calculation question for more than 2 minutes, circle it, make an educated guess, and move on. The worst thing you can do is leave blanks at the end of the paper because you ran out of time.

Practice is king here. Use RevisionGrid to blast through hundreds of past Paper 1s until you start recognizing the examiner's tricks.

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